Well let's see here....
I've had an idea fumbling around in my head for years. I had posted it on the hammock camping yahoo group. I looked it up and it was 2005..yikes how time flies. I wanted a way to adjust the insulation underneath. I came up with a "bombhatch" type of dealio. I drew it out but never made one....
I don't know if anyone remembers the 'taco' or the garlington insulator?
http://www.garlington.biz/Ray/Hammoc.../Insulator.htm
Well these ideas forged off these old ideas.
I saw a few people having similar ideas so I'm not sure if this has been done or not. I call it the hull because I looked in a thesaurus under skin and shell
We need a new name to toss around....
Any who, this idea came back to me a few years back but it slipped away again. I have never owned an underquilt.....I was always too lazy too make one and felt I should over buying one. I'd just wrestle pads or get by til spring...
At any rate I finally ordered a yeti from Brandon. It hasn't gotten here yet but I liked how he holds the darn thing in place. That was the missing piece I needed. I'll see if I can improve upon this once I actually receive the thing and can have a better look.
So I spent about an hour throwing some scraps together for proof of concept. Here is what I did.
I used the shockcord idea for the side suspension. I have a piece of fabric that snugs up tight against the hammock. Then essentially I have another piece of fabric that's like a flap. I can put insulation in there and then cinch it up to the appropriate loft. Whether that's just a pad or a thick quilt. Once reason I thought of this was because if you double over a summer quilt it's a nice underquilt. So you double it over and tuck it in there, cinch up snug but not tight.
If you can't visualize that, here's some pics. Remember, this is a roughed out prototype that is left 'open' so I can show what I'm talking about.
Here is the summer quilt in place.
Working your way from the top....the top fabric is the hammock itself, the next is the upper part of the hull (it snugs against the hammock), then the quilt, then the 'flap'
It wouldn't be open like this of course. It just so you can see.
You can tighten it all the way up for pads. I have them sticking out so you can see them.
Notice to the right is the excess fabric from the 'flap'
If you are still confused, here is a blurry closeup of the side with the pads in.
The hammock is the greenish fabric. The top of the hull is the brown and the flap is the bluish fabric.
There are some things to iron out and to try. I think there probably should be some baffles in there. (see here i blue)
It think you could put some evazote or a down tubes (I think others here at HF spoke of that). That makes it very SPE likeand keeps the sides protected.
There could be some self close flaps to get into those side sections.
The cool thing about this is you can make it any size you want. Or have multiple ones. If you already have a nice 3/4 UQ this could acually go under it for more insulation.
You could also make one just for your legs. Keep your nice 3/4 UA in place and make a thin one for you legs.
You can stuff a summer quilt, pads, clothes, leaves...
You could make two, one for the torso, one for the footsies...and use the same shock cord lines.
You could put nothing in there and you get that extra two layers for skeeters.
With that in mind it would make a dual layer hammock obsolete almost. You could have dual layer just where you need it. Heck, drop the flap and just have that second skin up snug where you want...hmmm there's another idea...
You can use any materials you want.
I was even thinking about a mid temp one with a neatsheet.
IX, sil, dwr, etc.
You could piecemeal to create breathability,waterproofness, etc...
One of the main design ideas to work out is how to attach the flap once you have it where you want it.
There are several ways to 'assemble' this thing. You could do it at home. You could do it on the ground and adjust the loft just right and then put it on. Or you could cinch it up by eyeball and then just shove stuff in there.....
But I think it would be best to be in the hammock and be able to pull up to snug. I tried a few but wasn't happy. I might utilize the ridgeline as a tieoff.
Anyway, just thought I'd share the idea with y'all.
I primarily need to make this for my son. He sleeps in a hammock year round when he stays with me. But he's never been cold weather hammocking. So I get the yetiand he'll get a hull
oops forgot a pic. Here it is all by it's lonesome. Just a flute holding it open.
later
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